The Bride Who Said No: Escaping the Shadows of Yesterday

Audrey walked straight to Eloise, her presence commanding the room. "Ms. Harwood, why don't you clarify your relationship with my grandson?"

Eloise bit her lip, her gaze involuntarily flicking toward Kieran, who frowned deeply, clearly uncomfortable with the situation unfolding.

He stood up, attempting to diffuse the tension. "Eloise and I are merely friends."Content rights belong to NôvelDrama.Org.

"That's not for you to say!" Audrey snapped, turning her frosty gaze back to Eloise. "Let Ms. Harwood speak for herself."

"Kieran and I are just friends," Eloise said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"But isn't there a rumor, Ms. Harwood, that you were so infatuated with Kieran you even tried to harm yourself?" Audrey didn't skip a beat as she grabbed Eloise's left hand and held it up for everyone to see. Eloise paled, and her wrist wrapped in white bandages seemed to tell a tale of distress.

Without sympathy, Audrey ripped off the bandages, revealing... absolutely nothing. Eloise's wrist was unmarked, devoid of any injury. The room erupted into murmurs and gasps.

Audrey sneered, "The dramatic tales of self-harm were nothing but a farce. Ms. Harwood's wrist is as pristine as can be."

Kieran's brows knitted even closer together at this revelation.

Eloise couldn't bring herself to meet Kieran's eyes, her gaze darting around the room as if looking for an escape.

Even Freya was stunned into silence, having expected some proof of Eloise's alleged desperation, not this manipulation.

With tears streaming down her face, Eloise fled the scene.

Kieran declared, his voice cold, "This press conference is over."

At his signal, Jarrett promptly escorted the journalists out and offered them parting gifts on behalf of the Sutton family.

As Freya rose to leave, Audrey gestured for her to stay. Together, they retreated to a quieter space backstage.

Once there, Audrey, seated comfortably and sipping coffee, fixed Kieran sternly. "Do you see now? The kind of woman you've taken a liking to?"

Eloise's face was a mask of misery

but Kieran retorted, "Grandma, even if Ellie didn't harm herself, was there a need to humiliate her in front of

a need t

everyone like that?"

"Humiliate her? She's been

embarrassing Freya and our family!" Audrey's laugh was cold and without humor. "She pretended to hurt herself at the engagement party just to put you aside, made Freya a

our

target for ridicule, andre

family into a joke. And yet, you're defending her?"

Eloise's eyes welled up with tears, but Audrey was relentless. "Now, because of her, Freya wants to call off the engagement. I heard Ms. Harwood had quite the birthday bash,

gives her the right? And to think she enjoyed the privileges of being associated with our family, all while trying to drive a wedge between you and Freya, aspiring to be the lady of the Sutton family?"

Fat Kieran's expense. W net